Day 3: The Sign of Circumcision
Reading: Genesis 17:1–27
Listen to: Genesis chapter 17
Historical Context
Thirteen years pass between chapters 16 and 17 — years of silence in which Abram simply waits. When God reappears, he changes Abram’s name to Abraham (“father of many”) and Sarai’s name to Sarah. In the ancient world, changing someone’s name was a declaration of authority and a statement of identity. Abraham is being given a new identity before the promise is fulfilled — he is called to live into a name that does not yet match his reality.
Key Themes
Walking before God. The opening command — “walk before me and be blameless” — establishes the covenant relationship as one of ongoing attentiveness, not just a single transaction.
Circumcision as covenant sign. Like the rainbow with Noah, circumcision is a physical sign that marks the covenant people. Paul will later argue that the sign’s purpose was to point to the faith already credited to Abraham before circumcision — the outer sign points to the inner reality.
Connections
- New Testament echo: Romans 4:11 calls circumcision “a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith” — the sign came after the faith, showing that faith is primary.
- Parallel passage: Colossians 2:11–12 describes Christian baptism as a “circumcision made without hands” — the spiritual reality that the physical sign pointed toward.
Reflection Questions
- Abraham is given a new name before the promise is fulfilled. What does it mean to live into an identity that does not yet match your visible reality?
- What does the command to “walk before me” suggest about the nature of the covenant relationship God wants?
- How does Paul’s argument that circumcision came after faith — not before — protect the doctrine of justification by faith alone?
Prayer
Lord, you call us by a new name — beloved, redeemed, yours — before we look or feel like it. Give us the courage to live into that identity. Teach us what it means to “walk before you” in the ordinary moments of every day. Amen.